Melbourne, Australia; 26 July 2023: Starpharma (ASX: SPL, OTCQX: SPHRY) today announces it has entered a new partnership with The University of Queensland’s (UQ’s) Hub for Advanced Manufacture of Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals (AMTAR Hub), which has been awarded $4.8 million from the Australian Government’s Australian Research Council (ARC). The partnership will advance the research and development of Starpharma’s targeted DEP^® radiotheranostic products – which includes both DEP^® radiodiagnostics and DEP^® radiotherapeutics.

In addition to Starpharma, UQ’s AMTAR Hub is partnering with other leading commercial organisations and scientific institutions, including Telix Pharmaceuticals, Clarity Pharmaceuticals and CSIRO. The AMTAR Hub is dedicated to advancing the development of radiopharmaceuticals in Australia. It will provide access to world-leading research capabilities, scientific innovations and expertise in the radiopharmaceutical field. 

“We are pleased to partner with Starpharma to collaborate within the AMTAR Hub on research and development of the broad range of potential applications of its unique targeted DEP^® radiopharmaceutical products. The DEP^® platform offers several distinct advantages versus other biological and nanotechnology approaches and we are encouraged by the existing data.”

Professor Kris Thurecht from UQ’s Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) and Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI), who will lead the AMTAR Hub.

“Starpharma is excited to collaborate with lead organisation UQ as part of the AMTAR Hub to access additional resources and accelerate the development of our expanding portfolio of targeted DEP^® radiotheranostic products. Spearheaded by internationally recognised Professor Kris Thurecht, the AMTAR Hub is a significant initiative that will shape the future of Australia’s radiotheranostics industry.” 

Dr Jackie Fairley, CEO of Starpharma

Last week, Starpharma announced¹ new data for DEP^® HER2-zirconium, a HER2-targeted radiodiagnostic product, demonstrating its imaging benefits in a HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer model, in studies conducted in the laboratories of Professor Kris Thurecht, AIBN and CAI, at UQ. The benefits demonstrated for DEP^® HER2-zirconium include a favourable biodistribution profile, excellent imaging contrast between tumour and normal tissues, rapid uptake into tumour, high levels of tumour accumulation, and rapid clearance from blood.

DEP^® HER2-zirconium is a radiodiagnostic product that belongs to the rapidly growing “radiotheranostic” category – which includes both radiodiagnostics and radiotherapeutics. DEP^® HER2-zirconium is designed to specifically diagnose, stage, and monitor HER2+ cancers with greater sensitivity, meaning that patients suffering from these cancers could be diagnosed earlier, more accurately, and monitored more closely during cancer treatment.   

Starpharma has also previously reported excellent efficacy data for DEP^® HER2-lutetium, a HER2-targeted radiotherapeutic, demonstrating enhanced delivery of radioisotopes to solid tumours in human cancer models and excellent tolerability. The DEP^® platform technology affords several benefits to radiotheranostics, and advantages over standard biological targeting of radioisotopes using monoclonal antibodies. These advantages include the ability to use a broad range of targeting molecules combined with a broad range of radioisotopes with different diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In addition, the DEP^® platform allows for improved and tailored pharmacokinetic profiles of different radiodiagnostics and radiotherapeutics, and improved stability of radiotheranostic products.

Radiotheranostics are innovative medical technologies that include targeted molecular imaging and targeted therapy using radioisotopes. This approach allows for the delivery of radiation directly to cancer cells while minimising adverse effects on normal tissues in the body. In contrast to conventional external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT), radiotheranostics also have the ability to deliver radiotherapy to any site in the body where cancer cells are present.

The radiotheranostic category is generating global interest, with several new product approvals in recent years, including Illuccix^® radiodiagnostic for prostate cancer from Telix Pharmaceuticals. In addition, there have been numerous high-value deals and acquisitions involving radiotheranostic products, such as Bayer’s acquisition of Bicycle Therapeutics’ radiotherapy cancer drug candidates valued at up to ~US$1.7 billion. The global radiotheranostics market was US$1.8 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow by over 10% annually to US$4.2 billion by 2030².

View or download the ASX Announcement here.

¹ ASX Announcement dated 21 July 2023

² https://www.datamintelligence.com/research-report/theranostics-market